PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – As college football coaches, you live your college years every day in helping your players. This week, the coaches are back in finals week.
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said they are cramming with late night practices and early morning film study to go from playing at Duke to hosting North Carolina in five days.
"They (fans) think we just go out and play football," Narduzzi said. "Put the ball out, spot it and let's go."
"Sunday, we had to close the book on Duke. Make the corrections on special teams, offense, defense and then we had to flip it around because you weren't spending time on North Carolina before you could. You had to focus on a good Duke football team."
"Really no time to celebrate. You talk about 48 hours, you talk about trying to celebrate and enjoy some things. There was no time to enjoy it. I didn't talk about who the players of the game were."
Returning from Durham, North Carolina Saturday night, Narduzzi and staff returned to the South Side facility early enough the head coach missed 7:30a mass.
"It was the worst Sunday ever," Narduzzi said. "Miserable Sunday. This is no fun. The coaches, after today we will be caught up. We practiced twice already (once Sunday night). Our kids have done a great job, they've been mature. We have a strategy we are using, hope it works out for Thursday."
Sorry Carson
After the game on Saturday, Narduzzi said some of the issues they were having was former Pitt offensive lineman and now Duke Blue Devil, Carson Van Lyn was stealing signals. The Ohio native spent four years with the Panthers playing in all 11 games in 2020.
"Carson Van Lynn is over there staring at our signalers," Narduzzi said Saturday. "We changed some things up, maybe we didn't change it up good enough. You've got a spy on the other team, and our kids found a way to get it done."
Narduzzi went on to say that no one else could have had that information. He said it's why intra-conference transfers and transfers in general are not good.
Monday during his first media appearance since the game, Narduzzi apologized to Van Lyn. He said Van Lyn is a 'super kid' and there couldn't be a nicer kid in the world.
"I apologize to him for what I said," Narduzzi said Monday. "Didn't mean to make anyone feel bad or any harm to him. In the coaching profession it's intent vs. impact. My intent was not to make him feel bad. He didn't do anything I wouldn't do. I just called it out and I shouldn't have said a word. That's my fault. Sometimes you hurt people's feelings or get people up in arms."
Notes
· Narduzzi said 36 professional scouts will be at the game Thursday night.
· Senior guard Marcus Minor didn't play Saturday as Narduzzi said he was 'a little bit sore'. Sounds as if Minor would be ready to play against North Carolina.
· Narduzzi would not comment about any of the players suffering in game injuries-notably Keyshon Camp and right tackle Gabe Houy. Both listed as starters in this week's depth chart. Freshman Branson Taylor is the back-up to Houy with sophomore Matt Goncalves possibly filling that role moving from the left side. A pair of juniors, David Green and Tyler Bentley, are behind Camp.
